See it in Motion: Three-Way Miter Joint

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The Most Complex Woodworking Joint You May Ever Cut

In Fine Woodworking #227, furniture maker Andrew Hunter highlights his technique for producing a mind-blowing 3-way miter joint. At first glance, it might leave your head spinning. But with the help of a few modern conveniences like a router, drill press, and chopsaw, this intricate joint can be made quickly and precisely.

There are three keys to successfuly executing this joint. It might seem obvious, but the first is to start with perfectly straight, square stock. This allows for an exact layout, the second and most important step. Hunter has no problem with spending a day laying out a joint if need-be. Once he’s confident with the layout, he can breathe easy, because there remains only the task of removing material up to the layout lines. Carefuly excavating to precisely laid out lines, the final step, should leave you with little or no fitting. You can see the joint in the video above, and learn how to cut and fit the joint in Hunter’s article, Super-Strong 3-Way Miter.

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Article Comments

I'm really proud of myself for making this joint. Firstly. I made it roughly, so I could actually see for myself how it actually worked, and the parts of the joint that had no tolerence.
The finished joint is incredibly strong.
I used 50 x 50mm (2 x 2) wood - what is the smallest size that this joint has been made with.
Thanks to Andrew Hunter and Fine Woodworking for sharing this amazing joint with us all.
Marcus Horrell, Peterborough, England